Modular Prosthetic Socket with Adjustable Windows
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Prosthetic systems for amputees are costly and often bespoke, making them difficult to repurpose or recycle, and they do not adapt to changes in the volume of the residual limb, leading to user discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A modular prosthetic system with an inner socket and outer frame featuring adjustable socket and frame windows for sensor placement, a slit for volume adjustment, and a cable tensioning system for adjustability and ventilation, made from flexible and breathable materials like thermoplastic polyurethane.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a bespoke prosthetic system is made for the user, then the fit and comfort are improved, but the cost increases and repurposing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthetic system is divided into modular components including interchangeable sockets, liners, and cosmetic covers. Each component can be independently selected and replaced based on user needs, allowing customization without creating a completely bespoke system. The socket includes standardized interfaces that accept different liner configurations, enabling adaptation to changing limb volumes while maintaining a manageable component inventory.
Solution Approach 2:
The prosthetic system employs universal mounting mechanisms and standardized interfaces that allow the same basic structure to accommodate multiple users and configurations. The socket design includes adjustable features and universal connection points that enable the same component to serve different users with varying residual limb characteristics, reducing the need for completely custom-built systems.
2Ease of operation
If the prosthetic system is made bespoke for each user, then the initial fit is improved, but the ability to repurpose or recycle the system deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the prosthetic into replaceable modules (sockets, liners, covers) with standardized interfaces. When a user's needs change or the system is rejected, individual components can be extracted and transferred to other users or applications, maximizing repurposing potential while maintaining proper initial fit through selective component matching.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular architecture enables easy recovery and reuse of valuable components. Used liners and cosmetic covers can be removed and transferred to other sockets, and the basic socket structure can be repurposed with different liner configurations for other users, creating a circular economy approach to prosthetic lifecycle management.
3Ease of manufacture
If the prosthetic system uses fixed-volume sockets, then the manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the adaptability to changing limb volume deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The socket system incorporates adjustable volume mechanisms including expandable sections and interchangeable liners of varying thicknesses. These dynamic features allow the socket to adapt to changing residual limb volumes throughout the day or over time, while the base socket structure remains manufactured using standardized processes, balancing manufacturing simplicity with adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides volume adjustment through changing physical parameters of the liner (thickness, material density) rather than redesigning the entire socket. Users can swap between liners with different compression characteristics and volumes, allowing the same socket to accommodate varying limb volumes without requiring complex manufacturing processes.
4Strength
If the prosthetic system lacks ventilation, then the structural integrity is improved, but the user comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The socket incorporates localized ventilation features such as strategic openings or permeable sections in non-critical areas, while maintaining full structural integrity in load-bearing regions. The cosmetic cover may include breathable materials or vented sections that provide airflow without compromising the overall strength and support function of the prosthetic system.
Solution Approach 2:
The liner and cosmetic cover utilize breathable, porous materials that allow air circulation and moisture wicking while maintaining the structural function of the prosthetic. These materials provide passive ventilation through their inherent porosity, improving comfort without requiring active mechanical ventilation systems that could compromise structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A prosthetic system includes an inner socket configured to receive a residual limb, the inner socket having at least one socket window, and an outer frame configured to receive the socket, the frame having at least one frame window. The socket window is configured to align with the frame window when the socket is received within the frame. The frame window and the socket window are together configured to releasably receive a sensor for the residual limb.